Diallo, Canada ready for key Davis Cup tie against Israel in empty Halifax venue

With Canada's Davis Cup tennis team suddenly caught up in the fallout from Israel's war with Hamas, Gabriel Diallo and his teammates appear ready to roll with the punches.

"At the end of the day, I don't think it changes much," Diallo said in a video conference Thursday ahead of World Group I tie with Israel. The series of matches will be played in an empty venue without fans and media in attendance due to security concerns.

Activists from several groups say they are planning to protest the matches on Friday and Saturday over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and are calling on the CBC to cancel its planned livestream of the tie.

"Regardless of who we have in front of us, we're going to compete the same way," Diallo said. "We're going to leave it all out there and try to get the job done."

Montreal's Diallo, who turns 24 later this month, finds himself in uncharted waters in his nascent career. He said this is the first time sports and world affairs have collided in his career.

"Unforeseen circumstances for my part, so we're just going to have to adapt," Diallo said. "I think as tennis players that's our job throughout the year, adapting to different conditions. So yet again, it's another situation that we have to adapt to."

It's an unfortunate situation for Canada's team, which was hoping for solid fan support at Scotiabank Centre when the tie was first announced.

"It's always nice to have a big crowd cheering you on, but we're professionals in a sport," Canada captain Frank Dancevic said. "Thanks to COVID, everyone learned how to play with no fans.

"The guys are so dialled in, so whatever the atmosphere is out there, I'm confident in my team that they can adapt."

The decision to play without fans was